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MICK FANNING WINS '09 ASP WORLD TOUR
Parkinson loses R3 heat against Gavin Gillette; hands Mick second title
In case anyone was wondering how laser-focused Mick Fanning has been these last few weeks, here's some proof: after winning his second ASP world title when Parko went down to wildcard Gavin Gillette in R3 today, he did the whole carried-up-the-beach dealio. Hugged best mate Parko, who, along with Dingo, carried him up the beach. Sat through 20 minutes of the same exact question interviews with a Red Bull in one hand and a Corona in another. Hugged 2009 World Champ Kelly Slater. (Who remarked, "nice first wave as world champ!" about Mick's late-heat wipeout.) Walked out through the Volcom House onto the Pipe path to meet his wife and mom. ("You're cut!" his mom cried, seeing a little blood on his right elbow. "Typical mom," Fanning laughed.) Walked the bike path to the Rip Curl house, stopped occasionally for photos. Got into the house, went straight to the fridge, looking for some carbonated celebration -- and found exactly none.
"See, THAT'S how focused we've been," he laughed. "Not one beer in the house!"
Of course a technicality never kept an Aussie champ down; Fanning found the Grey Goose and some Passion Orange Guava ("pog") juice and mixed up a dozen mean Pogka drinks. And the Rip Curl Brass was triply stoked: Mick + Steph as world champs (again!) and Kekoa Bacalso as ASP Rookie of the Year. "Is anyone even watching the contest anymore?" Taylor Knox asked, looking out at the insane surf.
Indeed they were. We're talking the best in the world going crazy in mindlessly perfect, six-foot, offshore Pipeline and Backdoor. Pro surfing's ultimate Candyland moment. But let's back up a little more. To the only couple heats of the day that really mattered. (Well, to be fair, Mick's morning heat mattered -- he took down Big Islander Torrey Meister with what turned out to be the second highest heat-score of the day.)
But the main drama of the day -- the whole freaking ASP year, in fact -- happened around noon. Parko had to advance over Gavin Gillette in R3, heat 15 to keep his world title hopes alive. He spent the couple heats prior getting ready one of the Bong houses, pacing around, talking to coach Luke Egan, listening to advice from Andy Irons and going back and forth between his two step-up pintails, checking the rails, the fins, the wax, etc. Just after noon, Mick walked by the Bong house on the beach with two boards, getting ready for his R4 heat with Dingo. He didn't look up as he walked by. Parko didn't look down. Much as us media types wanted there to be like a shaka or wave or whatever.
Parko paddled out. Mick sat just down the beach next to his mom, headphones + sunnies on. Looking fairly intense, as you'd figure a guy who could win the world title could be. Parko's heat started out slow. Gillette got a bomb towards the end for a nine-point-something. The beach went nutso. Parko needed a six point something to advance. 'Cause of the overlapping heat format, Mick actually paddled out while Parko was still in the water -- something the ASP actually attempted to avoid with the heat draw.
As the minutes were ticking off, the beach started standing up, en masse. Parko had priority and needed only one decent score, but the storyline was damn compelling: a wildcard decides the title! Great drama. Seconds ticked down. Of course, like some kind of Hollywood script, a set feathered on the horizon. Mick and Dingo -- Parko's childhood friends -- were in the channel, waiting for their next heat. Waiting for the world title. Twenty seconds. One wave was going to make it to the lineup in time. "It looked like a left closeout," Gavin Gillette remarked later, but Parko had no choice. He had to go. He paddled. The beach stood up taller. Mick held his breath. Dingo probably did, too. Turned out to be a left closeout. Parko ejected from the lip and freefell into the pit, arms agog, and the beach gasped and cheered at the same time.
The most dramatic wipeout of the day.
And for the first time since 2003, a world champ was crowned at Pipe.
"Kekoa was screaming and Dingo was screaming and I started screaming," Mick explained when Parko went down. "Then I broke down. Me and Parko just sorta sat there and hugged. As a friend, it was hard to watch what happened to him this year. We chatted about what's been happening the last few days and how nervous we both were." They hugged again.
Ironically, Mick's first wave as world champ was a carbon copy of Parko's freefall wipeout -- except he had one finger out, like, "I'm number one." Of course 'cause there was still the rest of the Mick/Dingo heat to deal with, and turned out it was 40 minutes after Parko's giant freefall wipeout before Mick (lost the heat) and came in.
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December 12, 2009
